Giving poorly prepared colons a clean sweep

A poorly prepared colon can delay a colonoscopy because the doctor can’t see through the muck.

This is particularly problematic when a patient is in the hospital. About 20 percent of inpatient colonoscopies are delayed, which means increased hospital costs and more stress on individuals who are already experi- encing health problems.

Pure-Vu, a new cleansing device for inadequately prepared colons, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in June for use during inpatient exams. Manufactured by Florida-based Motus GI, the device is neither a replacement for bowel preparation nor is it approved for outpatient use.

“It allows the hospital to gain control and predictability over these procedures and make sure that they happen when they’re scheduled to happen,” Motus GI CEO Tim Moran said.

Usually, a colonoscope—the long, thin, flexi- ble tube used during a colonoscopy—holds one water jet and a single suction channel. Pure-Vu hitches a ride with a colonoscope—inside a disposable, single-use sleeve—to provide pulse vortex irrigation with four jets and two suction ports.

It’s a “controlled power wash,” according to gastroenterologist Sreeram Parupudi, MBBS, a practicing physician and professor of internal medicine at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB), the only organization in Texas currently using Pure-Vu.

“Sometimes, the nature of the stool and mucus is such that it is very sticky. In that case, washing it with one stream is not good enough to see any underlying lesions,” Parupudi said. “In some patients, there may be excess stool— which is like a thin liquid—which is hard to suction out with one channel.”

These issues can be especially acute with inpatients who are physically disabled.

The Pure-Vu system, composed of a work- station and the washing device, flushes the colon vigorously and efficiently. Parupudi has used the device on about 20 patients and only one could not continue the exam.

“The most important value is completing the procedure,” he said. “If the stool is washable, it prevents patients from coming back again … and going through anesthesia one more time and not taking medicines they need, such as blood thinners.”